Headley admits connections with LeT and ISI

Amid the deposition of David Coleman Headley, the country is continuing to expose the role of Pakistan-based terror organisations, its army, spy agency ISI and others along with LeT terrorist-turned-approver. The deposition will describe the how Headley was assigned to gather military intelligence in India and recruit spies from the Indian Army.

The video conferencing from the US jail was the medium used to depose Headley. On the second day, a special TADA court was present. Headley said he was tasked with luring spies from the Indian Army to work for Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

As per reports, a man was identified as Major Ali from the Pakistan Army. His task was to note troop movement in India as part of the plan to infiltrate the military establishments.

“He wanted me to note the movement of troops in India. He wanted someone to spy on matters of military intelligence, movement of officers. He wanted me to develop contacts with officials of Indian military forces with a purpose to gather intelligence,” said Headley.

Headley had admitted to working both for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the ISI while he was deposed for Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Headley on Monday revealed that the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were planned over a year in Pakistan.

Headley said that the plan for the 26/11 strike began from 2007. The meeting that he attended had Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir along with his LeT contact Sajid Mir and Abu Khafa. His task was to conduct a recce of Hotel Taj Mahal Palace and other locations in Mumbai.

At the meeting, the LeT leaders gave information about a plan to strike during an upcoming conference of Indian defence officials and scientists at the luxury hotel opposite the Gateway of India which they wanted to hit, Headley told the court of Special Judge G.A. Sanap.

The meeting supposed to be executed a year before the Mumbai terror attacks. The conference however, was later cancelled.

Headley was specifically asked by the handlers to survey and videograph the second floor of the hotel which he did along with his wife Faiza.

Headley said he had met Major Iqbal of the Pakistan Army first time in 2006 at a house in Lahore and discussed the matters with him.

“Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal were satisfied with the videos and photos of the hotel which I gave them,” Headley said, adding that the plan to target the Hotel Taj conference hall was later scrapped for “logistics reasons”.

Headley spoke about how the LeT and Al Qaeda, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahiddeen and other groups in Pakistan function were under the “United Jihad Council” and were working against India.

Headley also admitted his connections to LeT and ISI. Headley described Hafiz Saeed as LeT’s “spiritual leader,” while Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was its “operational commander” and both worked with the sole aim of unleashing terror in India.

He met Azhar at the location, around 150 km from Lahore, and the same year he met Lakhvi in Muzafarrabad at the LeT headquarters.

However, it was at a meeting in 2006 attended by Sajid Mir, Muzammil, Abu Khafa it was decided that he should go to India.

On Monday, Headley deposed roughly on the period between 2003 and 2005 and on Tuesday, he threw light on the period after 2005 till 2008, and the deposition will resume again on Wednesday, Nikam told media persons.